Symantec Press Publishes ``The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense''; Behind-the-Scene Look At How Antivirus Research Is Conducted To Develop Security

Business Wire, Feb 10, 2005

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced the third book published by Symantec Press -- "The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense," (Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-321-30454-3, $49.99). The book is authored by Peter Szor, security architect for Symantec Security Response, and provides an insider's view of how computer virus research is conducted and how threats are analyzed for the sake of better security measurement.

Szor's book focuses primarily on self-replicating malicious code from the perspective of all three infection techniques -- file/storage, in-memory, and network. As a result, Szor has developed a detailed technical guide for IT and security professionals, along with academicians and students, for understanding the methodology of computer virus analysis and protection.

"The technique for computer virus analysis is a subject that has long been overlooked in the field of publishing regarding cyber threats," said Szor. "Such techniques have yet to be discussed in sufficient length from the highly technical perspective that the subject demands -- a perspective that can only be provided by an actual professional of virus research. Therefore, this book is aimed at and will be most useful for the IT and security professional who fight against malicious code on a daily basis."

By dividing the book into two parts -- methods of attack, followed by methods of defense -- "The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense" offers an encyclopedic treatment of the computer virus, including its history and evolution, behavior, classification, protection strategies and techniques, and how to conduct an accurate threat analysis.

As a security architect with Symantec Security Response, Szor designs and develops antivirus technologies for the Norton AntiVirus product line. He joined Symantec in 1999 and is the author of several U.S. patents that are pending. He is also a frequent speaker at Virus Bulletin, EICAR, Usenix Security and RSA conferences, and a regular contributor to Virus Bulletin magazine.

"The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense" is the third book published by Symantec Press, the publishing arm developed by Symantec in collaboration with Addison-Wesley Professional that features books focused on critical and valuable information security topics. Purchasing information for the book and additional information on other books scheduled to be published by Symantec Press can be found at www.ses.symantec.com/symantecpress.> About Addison-Wesley Professional

Addison-Wesley Professional is the leading publisher of high-quality and timely information for programmers, developers, and system administrators. The company's mission is to provide educational materials concerning new technologies and new approaches to current technologies written by leading authorities. Addison-Wesley Professional is a division of Pearson Education, the global leader in integrated education publishing. Pearson Education is part of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO), the international media company. Visit us at www.awprofessional.com.

About Symantec

Symantec is the global leader in information security providing a broad range of software, appliances and services designed to help individuals, small and mid-sized businesses, and large enterprises secure and manage their IT infrastructure. Symantec's Norton brand of products is the worldwide leader in consumer security and problem-solving solutions. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 35 countries. More information is available at http://www.symantec.com.

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